A Beautiful Mosaic

People think I work at a camp.  Or at least that what I do or where I live is like being at a camp.  I even had some similiar subconscious preliminary feelings about this type of work...before I began it.  But it's not.  It's not a camp and you can't "play" camp.  Because it is these kids' real lives.  They stay too long for a mountain top high to last.  And it isn't just a "week away from it all."  It was their destination following trauma.  Their mandatory new habitat.  But not camp.  This week, "camp" arrived on our campus, though, and a massive explosion erupted.  I can't tell you how much glass shattered or how many cuss words I heard.  I don't know where it ended or where it began, but "camp" was one of the most difficult things for our kids to do.  "Camp" is about getting away, throwing inhibitions to the wind, being silly, establishing new relationships, and hearts hearing messages that it would not...

I wrote a letter today to the one Barton girl we have had since our first day at Vera Lloyd.  Now that the girls' side of our Transitional Living Program is open, she has officially moved into that program as of this weekend.  We are so excited for her and know this is the crucial next step to her success in life, but we are so sad to see her go. We are praying that the hard work and endurance she has shown thus far will continue as she takes on large parts of life on her own.  We pray for good influences and that she will be able to build trust quickly with the new people in her life.  We pray she will find the strength and courage from her faith to make the right decisions and do what is best for her and others.  We pray that she will grow through the impending difficulties rather than become imbittered.  We pray for opportunities to be a part of her life as our role in her life transforms.  And we pray for the strength to let go ...

As I type, two worlds are beginning one giant collision on the other side of our apartment door.  When we visited Kansas recently, our big news was about our home's transition this summer.  Instead of being a partial long-term residential / partial short-term emergency shelter home for girls, we are becoming the long-term residential home with 8 long-term spots!  The shelter girls (who stay on campus for 45 days or less until a long-term placement is secured) will be filling up the house next door and will no longer be staying at our house.  Thus, on this sunny Sunday afternoon, the 4 long-term girls from next door (who have lived here for lengths of time ranging from 8 months to almost 4 years) are moving their things into our home, and our short-term shelter youth are moving out. The oldest Barton girl who has been with us the entire time we have been here moved out this weekend into our Girl's Transitional Living Program (right across the street) to...